From: Darrell128@aol.com
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 1997 00:08:24 -0500 (EST)
Subject: NR 97026: SW Michigan First RCA Michigan Classis to Ratify Salvation Through
Chr
NR #1997-026: SW Michigan Becomes First RCA Michigan Classis to Ratify Church
Order Amendment on Salvation Through Christ Alone
Meeting in a three-hour closed session on February 25, the Reformed Church
in America's Classis of Southwest Michigan became the first RCA classis in
Michigan to ratify a pending amendment to the RCA's Book of Church Order
which would require all RCA ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that
Christ is the only means of salvation. The classis vote in Southwest Michigan
was made more controversial because the classis membership includes Rev. Don
Van Hoeven, who has been formally rebuked by the classis for articles in the K
alamazoo Gazette and other newspapers supporting controversial pastor Rev.
Richard Rhem of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake and his belief that
salvation does not depend on affirming Jesus Christ.
NR #1997-026: For Immediate Release
SW Michigan Becomes First RCA Michigan Classis to Ratify Church Order
Amendment on Salvation Through Christ Alone
by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer
United Reformed News Service
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (February 28, 1996) URNS -- Meeting in a three-hour closed
session on February 25, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Southwest
Michigan became the first RCA classis in Michigan to ratify a pending
amendment to the RCA's Book of Church Order which would require all RCA
ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that Christ is the only means of
salvation.
If the amendment is ratified by a two-thirds majority of all 46 RCA classes
and by a majority vote of the RCA General Synod this coming June, all RCA
ministers and the elder delegates from all RCA churches would be required to
annually inform their classes as to whether "the doctrines of the gospel
[are] preached in your church in their purity in conformity with... the truth
that divine redemption from sin is only through faith in the perfect work of
the Lord Jesus Christ alone, the only mediator between God and man." The new
question would be added to two other questions that already exist in the
RCA's "Constitutional Inquiries," which are asked every year to all RCA
ministers and churches and entered into the classical minutes for the
information of the regional synods. Currently all RCA ministers and churches
must declare that their preaching of the gospel is in conformity with
Scripture and the doctrinal standards of the RCA, namely, the Belgic
Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dordt.
The classis vote in Southwest Michigan was made more controversial because
the classis membership includes Rev. Don Van Hoeven, who has been formally
rebuked by the classis for articles in the Kalamazoo Gazette and other
newspapers supporting controversial pastor Rev. Richard Rhem of Christ
Community Church in Spring Lake and his belief that salvation does not depend
on affirming Jesus Christ. The Van Hoeven controversy has hit the local
television media and the front page of the Kalamazoo Gazette, whose editor is
an RCA member and belongs to the same congregation as Van Hoeven.
Van Hoeven, formerly campus minister at Western Michigan University in
Kalamazoo, is retired and therefore not required to attend classis meetings.
Contacted for comment after the meeting, Van Hoeven blasted the classis both
for its vote and for conducting the vote in closed session.
"They just continue to keep digging a deeper hole for themselves; they're
becoming increasingly intolerant in the way they want to run the church and
they don't want people to know what they're doing," said Van Hoeven. "They
seem to think the church can do what it wants without the sunlight of inquiry
by the community."
According to Van Hoeven, the closed meeting is a symptom of a deeper problem
in the Southwest Michigan Classis and more broadly in the RCA at large. "They
certainly do not have a priority on the clear communication of how and why
the church does what it does," said Van Hoeven. "I have a sense that the
classis feels itself in a struggle to keep up with the fundamentalists and
they will move farther and farther away from what it means to be Reformed
according to the Word of God."
The root of the problem, according to Van Hoeven, is that some in the RCA
have seized upon the issue of whether non-Christians can be saved as a
response to fundamentalist pressure. "They're attempting to become brokers of
God's mercies and as I understand the life of Jesus that's what he lived to
oppose," said Van Hoeven. "This only confirms the importance and significance
of me continuing to do what I do."
Classis president Elder Bill Doornbos declined to answer most media
questions after the adjournment of the meeting except to confirm the classis
vote and referred inquiries to the vice-president, Rev. Rick Oppenhuizen.
Reached for comment several days after the meeting, Oppenhuizen said he
wanted to avoid getting into a public debate in the media with Van Hoeven
over his views or his criticism of the closed meeting.
"We do not want to get into any kind of public debate on Van Hoeven, we've
asked him not to respond and obviously we need to be very careful with our
response as well," said Oppenhuizen.
According to Oppenhuizen, the classical vote -- taken by voice vote but with
a clear majority -- indicated how seriously the classis took the issues under
debate.
"The affirmation was that the issue of salvation through Christ alone is at
the very heart of our theology and we didn't want to compromise that," said
Oppenhuizen. "People felt that this was at the very core of what the RCA
stands for and to compromise that salvation can come apart from Jesus Christ
was to compromise what we stand for. The overwhelming sense was that this
needed to be added to clarify."
Oppenhuizen also noted that not everyone who voted against ratifying the
church order amendment disagreed that salvation is only through Christ.
"The 'no' votes were out of a spirit first of all that some felt it's time
to move on, that we don't need for this issue to be discussed any more, and
we don't need to vote 'yes' or 'no,' we need to move on with the work of the
church," said Oppenhuizen. "Others felt it is redundant because it is already
stated that people must affirm the Word of God and the standards of the
Reformed Church in America. Maybe people felt we need to unify, not divide."
Oppenhuizen declined comment on the current status of Van Hoeven, who has
appealed his rebuke to the RCA's Regional Synod of the Great Lakes, on the
grounds that it would be improper to comment on a pending judicial case.
While the Southwest Michigan vote has now been cast, it will be moot unless
at least 30 other classes concur. The proposed amendment has drawn fire from
a number of progressive RCA leaders, prompting invitation-only forums at
various places around the country to discuss developments in the RCA. At
least one prominent classis in Michigan -- the Classis of Holland, the oldest
RCA classis in the midwest which holds the credentials of a number of Hope
College professors and denominational leaders -- has a recommendation before
it to vote against the amendment. According to the Holland Sentinel, the
Holland Classis overtures and judicial business committee is recommending
that the classis vote against the amendment at its March 25 meeting. Classis
officials told the Holland Sentinel that the amendment was unnecessary
because the RCA's doctrinal standards already affirm salvation through Christ
alone.
Cross-References to Related Articles:
#1996-013: Special Meeting of RCA's Muskegon Classis Discusses Homosexuality,
Scripture, Salvation Apart from Christ
#1996-023: Muskegon RCA Classis: No Room for Pastor Questioning Salvation
Apart from Christ, Authority of Scripture
#1996-086: Muskegon Classis Rebukes Rhem for "Heretical" Views, Restarts
Negotiations "to Reach a Mutually Acceptable Separation Agreement" with
Christ Community Church
#1996-091: Rhem Conflict Leads to Homosexuality Debate in Muskegon
#1996-092: Back to the Drawing Board: Muskegon Classis Tables Proposed
Settlement with Pastor of RCA's Fourth-Largest Church
#1996-093: Dr. Jonathan Gerstner on Rhem: "Tragedy is the Only Word"
#1996-094: Second RCA Minister Faces Discipline for Theological Views
#1996-103: Classis Muskegon Averts Heresy Trial, Completes Separation
Agreement with Richard Rhem, Christ Community Church
#1996-110: Appeal Stalls Settlement Agreement on Rev. Richard Rhem; Protests
Greet Upcoming Rhem Keynote Speech for RCA Regional Synod of the
Mid-Atlantics on "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers be Saved?"
#1996-118: Rhem to Reformed Church in America: "The Bible is a Wax Nose"
#1997-001: Muskegon Classis Suspends Separation Agreement Until Regional
Synod Adjudicates Appeal on "Gross Sexual Misconduct" Allegations Against
Richard Rhem
#1997-002: Rhem's Attorney Responds: "Classis... Has Engaged in
Conspiratorial Actions Which Were Maliciously Calculated to Damage Rev.
Richard Rhem and Christ Community Church"
#1997-007: Appeal of Charges Against Rhem Sent Back to Committee by RCA's
Regional Synod Executive Committee; Van Hoeven Appeal to Proceed with
Recommendation of Dismissal
#1997-019: Reformed Church in America Classes Poised to Vote on Church Order
Change: Should All RCA Ministers and Churches Annually Reaffirm that
Salvation is Through Christ Alone?
Contact List:
Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services
475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115
O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499
Elder Bill Doornbos, President, Classis of Southwest Michigan
c/o Third Reformed Church, 2345 N. 10th St., Kalamazoo, MI 49009
O: (616) 375-4815
Ms. Jennifer Liggett, Stated Clerk, Classis of Southwest Michigan
302 Academy St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007
H/O: (616) 349-6260
Rev. Rick Oppenhuizen, Vice-President, Classis of Southwest Michigan
1833 S. Burdick St., Kalamazoo, MI 49001
O: (616) 344-6151 * H: (616) 329-2729
Rev. Richard Rhem, Senior Pastor, Christ Community Church
225 East Exchange St., Spring Lake, MI 49456
O: (616) 842-1985 * H: (616) 846-7777 * F: (616) 842-3476
Rev. Donald Van Hoeven
1024 Westfall, Kalamazoo, MI 49006
H: (616) 381-8586
Rev. Sherwin Weener, Synod Minister, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes
4500 - 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512
O: (616) 698-7071 * H: (616) 457-3572
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